GROW News Jul-Sep/2015

1. Under the spotlight

Bringing your attention to a matter in this issue of the Newsletter

The increase in network costs and in the total data traffic will be quite a limitation for mobile networks operators in the future, especially with the introduction of LTE-A. Consequently, it is necessary to innovate and upgrade network architectures, focusing mainly on the Radio Access Networks (RANs). Green and centralised RANs are the solution, since they will be constituted by datacentres that use virtualisation techniques in order to simulate base stations (BSs), thus, decreasing maintenance costs and improving some main aspects on the flow of signalling and control information. The impact of introducing a centralised cloud based architecture in an urban scenario was analysed, and a model for the deployment of the infrastructure required for this novel architecture was developed, starting from the current deployment of an existing network.

Concentrating computational capacity in BBUs (Baseband Processing Units) introduces a new segment in the traditional RAN architecture, implying that time constraints provided by specifications for tasks accomplished by eNodeBs must incorporate also the time for the transportation of data through the fronthaul segment. The budget of time for transportation represents a key aspect for the deployment optimisation, because it has a direct impact on the maximum length of the links between RRHs (Remote Radio Heads) and BBUs. Designing a solution for an urban scenario raises an important requirement: not all the locations that could be considered optimal for the BBU pools positions should be able to host the infrastructures required for a BBU pool, due to the fact that network operators cannot locate equipment in arbitrary locations, such as protected buildings, difficult geographical locations, and so on. The adopted approach to avoid this problem is to consider as the set of feasible positions for the BBUs the set of locations of the existing BSs.

The figure shows how the developed algorithm placed the BBU Pools (in red) in the scenario of the greater Lisbon, for a maximum fronthaul delay constraint of 30 μs; the blue dots represent the cell sites where the RRHs are placed. The number of BBU Pools decreases as the maximum fronthaul delay increases, roughly following an inverse proportionality model.

Andrea Marrota

2. People

Information about incoming and outgoing people, besides other related news.

Miguel Sá and Andrea Marotta graduated with the M.Sc. in July. Congratulations to them, and wishes of success in their professional career.

GROW has hosted once more Dr. Slawomir J. Ambroziak (Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland), within a MEWCOM# Mobility Grant, during the whole month of September. This stay, continuing an existing collaboration, produced very interesting results, and has created the conditions for further collaboration.

GROW also hosted a visit from Profs. Jacek Stefanski and Jaroslaw Sadowski, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland, who gave a talk at IST on “R & D of Radiolocation and Radionavigation at the Gdansk University of Technology”.

3. Publications

Information about publications, at both national and international levels, concerning papers submitted, accepted, or published in the period.

5. Projects

A technical document (TD) on the work done on Body Area Networks was submitted and accepted for the next project meeting, in Barcelona, Spain.

LEXNET – http://www.lexnet-project.eu

A Summer School was held on 6th to 9th July in Santander. A contribution to D2.8 was issued with the results of the simulations with the Google Glasses. A paper with a survey on low EMF exposure techniques and networks is being prepared to be submitted to IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials. Work on Deliverable D5.2 has finished and a paper with the results was submitted, accepted, and presented in MONAMI 2015. The final WP7 deliverable, D7.4 — Dissemination and Standardisation Impact is being prepared.

MCN – http://www.mobile-cloud-networking.eu

The MCN project is approaching its end after 3 years of intense activity. A contribution on the research on integration of virtual radio resource management into OAI software-based LTE base-station was provided to the Final Report on Testbeds, Experimentation, and Evaluation (deliverable D6.4). INOV also contributed to the Dissemination and standardization Report (deliverable D7.2.3) reporting all the activity carried out during the last year.

NEWCOM# – http://www.newcom-project.eu

The work on the implementation of a Virtual Radio Resources Manager (VRRM) in Open Air Interface, done in collaboration with Eurecom, was reported in D2.3.4.

FAQtos – http://faqtos.pt

The final ceremony of Prémio FAQtos was held on July 11th, and the awards were delivered. The website section on technical information and useful links was reviewed. FAQtos project ended on the end of July 2015, but its website will be kept online.